Public safety or police commissioner on tap for Troy?

There’s nothing like a police promotional ceremony to learn what’s the latest topic of discussion. That was the case Friday for the Troy Police Department.

Lou Rosamilia, the city’s next mayor, was sitting in the crowd of about 125 people in a RPI auditorium. With a new administration taking office, and the new mayor having received the Troy Police Benevolent Association endorsement, the question many people were discussing was whether Rosamilia might appoint a public safety commissioner or a police commissioner.

It’s no secret in the Troy PD that Chief John Tedesco has riled many rank and file officers with changes to the organization since it was appointed to the top post in 2010 by outgoing Mayor Harry Tutunjian.

It will be about nine years since the city last had a police commissioner. That’s when Mark Whitman left the job. Troy being Troy, there was legal action over pay.

People like to say that either commissioner’s job is included in the charter.

But there’s no funding in the budget for either position. When asked about an appointment, Rosamilia pointed to the lack of funds. Tutunjian, standing close at hand, said all it would take is a budget amendment.

Jack McCann, a retired city police officer and Coxsackie police chief, is leading the Public Safety Committe for Rosamilia’s transition team. McCann said the committee is just forming and will be reviewing the options available for the new mayor. McCann also is the city Democratic chairman.

10 Responses

It is obvious that the TPD could use the leadership that Jack McCann has to offer. He has led police departments in the past and was a well respected detective. This is NOT political, this is about the good of Troy!

Led police departments in the past?? you call Coxsackie a Police Dept? You are kidding correct? We have a Fire and Police Chief already with plenty of assistants on both sides. The last thing the city needs is to bring back the wastes of money like O’cconor, Mills and Whitman.

Tedesco introduced walking patrols, pulled the wasteful officers from the schools, and has been very quality of life centered. They may not like that he shut down a wasteful unit, but what, exactly, is not to love?

Great idea to replace the Cheif doesn’t do nothing but cost the taxpayers lawsuits. Besides the Cheif should reside in the City. He has not kept any promises and has the police dept in pure dissaray! Mcavoy to the helm won’t cost the citizens nothing!!!

I live in downtown Troy and I see a very definite police presence day AND night in my neighborhood. Somebody’s doing something right and it starts at the top. Troy is a small city with limited tax base and high taxes. Waving the political scepter doesn’t mean the funds will be available for another administrative position in a city with significant challenges on many fronts: education, DPW services, plowing, filthy streets, especially side streets, and more.

Let’s talk “public safety” on a broader scale than trying to ramp up the police with another bureaucratic layer: how about we discuss virtually no snow plowing that makes it dangerous for emergency responders to respond, kids to get on buses, and the elderly to negotiate streets in winter and robs downtown businesses of badly needed support because there are no parking spots on snow clogged and snow narrowed streets. Or how about cleaning the “main streets” so the trash can blow down the filthy side streets…and some of this trash can be a serious health hazard: needles, broken glass, food waste garbage.

If you want to really do something for Troy do something about the bs about why there’s no money to mitigate any of this but money for another cronie to take a well paying job. This place isn’t Boston or New York.

Phyllis I live in downtown as well there are hardly ever police present downtown unless of course they are eating at francesca’s You obviously are a cronie of The Cheif he has some of the citizens fooled but many who see through his political tactics he lies cheats, and steals. He promotes criminals, maybe you need to do some investigating? He is a Resident of Colonie maybe they should take him oh they didn’t want him.